10 Reasons to See the Desert in Bloom

When I saw the Northeast in autumn for the very first time, I fell madly in love. From that time on, I couldn’t stop dreaming about living with those trees that paint the skies when they turn to golds, reds, yellows, and oranges. But being originally from the tropics, I knew it would be foolish. I would not be able to survive the height of winter in those places. Therein lies the quandary.

Fortunately, RVing full time for eight years brought us to the Arizona desert. Deserts are described as barren, desolate, waterless, and without vegetation. It is considered dull and uninteresting, unlivable due to extreme heat or cold. People, therefore, wonder how many can stand to live in Phoenix, Arizona,  Well, let me tell you that if spring and fall are the best seasons to visit (or live) in the Northeast, they are also in the Southwest. And, if the winter is the bane of the former, summer is it in the latter. That leads me to the crux of this post: Springtime is the best time to experience the desert. The following are the 10 reasons why.

If the trees turn multi-hued in the New England fall, trees turn yellow in the desert spring. (Disclosure: yellow is my favorite color) The Palo Verdes bloom with abandon and their tiny blossoms are yellow. The name Palo Verde literally translated means “green stick” in Spanish. All parts of the tree from the leaves to the branches, limbs, and trunk are green. There are two native Arizona Palo Verdes: the Foothills Palo Verde and the Blue Palo Verde. April is the blooming period for both. The first to bloom in April is the Blue Palo Verdes. Two weeks later, the Foothills follow.  The Mexican Palo Verdes bloom till August.

Flowers carpet the valleys and hillsides in the desert spring. Winter has been especially wet and cold this year. As a matter of fact, some snow collected in the desert valleys, more at the hill and mountain tops. Larger snow melts are now watering the landscapes. Yes, water abounds at this time in the desert, especially this year when winter produced so much melts. It is time to see the desert in bloom!

Because of the trees and the flowers, color reigns in the desert in spring. It is truly the best time to visit. Besides, temperatures in the desert are ideal at this time. Highs are in the 80-90s, lows in the 45-75s. It is fresh, chilly air to wake up to in the mornings, perfect for your hot coffee, chocolate or tea. And the nights of 60s-70s are cozy for indoor family activities or for night outs in style and comfort.

Daytime, on the other hand, is in the perfectly enjoyable 70-80s, except for June when it gets to the balmy ’90s later in the month. For this reason, markets come alive at this time in the desert. There will always be a farmers’ market to go to, every day of the week. Festivals also sprout, from art and music to film and everything in between. Even sports teams choose springtime in the desert to train. Come to see your favorite ballplayers from the Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Kansas City Royals, LA Angels, LA Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, and Texas Rangers. What a bonus!

The Phoenix Metropolitan Area is such a paradise in spring for all these reasons. In fact, it is also good in the fall. Winter can be a little bit chilly so we go farther south to Mexico. And the heat of summer, though no worse than the humid heat of the Midwest drives us to visit our children who all live in great summer places. As you can see, we have even decided to settle in the Phoenix area. But this spring, come and see the desert in magnificent bloom and enjoy the other bonuses.